Sound Off! Who's the Culprit?

From Barbara Wold:
I was shocked and appalled to see the following item on Joe Monahan's website today:

Linda Lopez & The Deaniacs; No, It's Not a Rock Band
It would make a good name for a rock band: Linda Lopez and the Deaniacs. But the veteran Dem ABQ Valley State Senator is probably in no mood to joke about her whipping at the hands of supporters of onetime prez candidate and now Democrat National Chair Howard Dean. Lopez was unceremoniously dumped from her spot as chairwoman of the Bernalillo County Democratic Party and replaced by party liberal and oldtimer Marvin Moss.

"It was the Dean supporters who did did her in. They packed the precinct and ward meetings leading up to the county convention and they did Linda in," reported an Alligator in attendance at the weekend confab. "The post has lost its glamour. Just what does the county chair do? Not a whole lot," added our on-the-scene Gator.

But whatever the chair does, Linda Lopez will not being doing it. By any measure that is a setback. She has repeatedly been mentioned as a possible candidate for higher political office, everything from Guv to mayor, but her detractors are now saying she was unable to hold on to a relatively minor party post. That gladdens the hearts of her rivals, including friends of Light Guv Diane Denish who are tired of being taunted by the Lopez clan for keeping Linda off the ballot when the two sought the Dem nomination for Light Guv in 02.' Oh yeah, Big Bill isn't crying in his beer about this one either.

I wonder who the devisive and wrong-headed person is who fed this line of distorted untruth to Monahan, who's always glad to feed the fires of Dem bashing. Given the tenor of the rumor, I'm not surprised they decided to spew this garbage anonymously.

First off, DFA-DFNM is much more than "Deaniacs" these days. Our ranks now have many people who weren't supporters of Dean's presidential run joining the "old-timers" whose involvement stretches back to the early days of the presidential primary.

Second, as anyone who knows anything knows, DFA-DFNM took no stand on the race for Bernalillo Dem County Chair. In conversations with many members, I learned first-hand that many voted for Linda Lopez and many voted for Marvin Moss. Contrary to the rather hysterical tone of the Monahan item, there was no concerted effort by "Deaniacs" to sway the race one way or another.  And most people had a hard time deciding between them.

Many I spoke with who had decided to vote for Marvin Moss said they were doing so NOT because they disliked Senator Lopez or didn't respect her politically, but because they thought Moss would have more time and inclination to immerse himself in the often tedious work that will be necessary to rebuild the Party, its infrastructure and its procedures in this time of upheaval. Many believe he has exactly the right skills for the job.

As for Linda Lopez, a significant number of members I spoke with said they thought she should instead run for higher office, like the governorship or Congress, instead of devoting time to the more mundane responsibilities of the County Chair position.

Also, every single DFA-DFNM member and other progressives I've talked to who worked with Senator Lopez on the election reform bill that's being signed today by Governor Richardson came away from the process with a very high regard for her. To a person they were impressed with her energy, enthusiasm, smarts, dedication, talent and honesty as exhibited in her negotiations with advocates, the Governor's office and other legislators.

It's clear that whoever planted this item wants to sow the seeds of divisiveness among progressive Democrats and bash Senator Lopez. They will not succeed. Contrary to to what the leaked item says, progressives sought precinct and ward chair slots, as well as membership on the State Central Committee, in order to change the Party from within and have a say on Party positions and candidates -- not to damage the chances of one of our most progressive and enlightened State Senators. 

Believe me, there are few fans of Govenor Richardson in the liberal and progressive ranks of the Party these days and it is upsetting that the item claims Richardson "isn't crying in his beer" over Senator Lopez's loss. Message for you, Bill (and whoever planted that item) -- we're trying to rebuild this Party from the ground up to counter the Republican-lite voices of Democrats-in-name-only like you and promote lively and courageous voices like Senator Lopez. Many of us intend to support her for higher office and work to get rid of the anti-progressive voices of pro-corporate Dems who vote against the little people way too much of the time. Saavy?